Ka 6
Ka 6 on display in the Deutsches Museum, Munich
Role	Club class glider Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co
Designer	Rudolf Kaiser
First flight	1955
Number built	> 1000 (all variants)

The Schleicher Ka 6 is a single-seat glider designed by Rudolf Kaiser,^[1] built by Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co, Germany and is constructed of spruce and plywood with fabric covering. The design initially featured a conventional tailplane and elevator which was later replaced by an all-moving tailplane in the -Pe and Ka 6E variants. Variants built before the -CR and -BR used a main skid as the principal undercarriage, with later variants including the Ka 6E using a wheel as the main undercarriage with no nose skid. Other modifications for the Ka 6E include a more aerodynamic fuselage with glassfibre nose and wingroot fairings, longer canopy, and modified aluminium airbrakes.

Variants

External image
Ka 6E with open cockpit

Dates of initial airworthiness approval in brackets:

• Ka 6 – Initial version; span 14.4 m (47 ft 3 in), (30 October 1956).
• Ka 6B (27 September 1957).
• Ka 6B-Pe – The Ka 6B with all-flying tailplane, (20 May 1960).
• Ka 6BR – The Ka 6B with the main skid removed and a relocated mainwheel, (27 September 1957).
• Ka 6CR – The Ka 6C with the main skid removed and a relocated mainwheel, (24 February 1959).
• Ka 6CR-Pe – The Ka 6CR with all-flying tailplane, (20 May 1960).
• Ka 6E The ultimate Ka-6, with all-flying tailplane, (29 July 1965).

Aircraft on display

• US Southwest Soaring Museum – Ka 6B-Pe and Ka 6e^[2]

Specifications (Ka 6E)

Data from ^[3]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 6.66 m (21 ft 10.25 in)
• Wingspan: 15 m (49 ft 2.5 in)
• Height: 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in)
• Wing area: 12.4 m² (135.5 sq ft)
• Aspect ratio: 18.1
• Airfoil: Root: NACA 633-618 Mid: NACA 633-614 (with Wortmann leading edge modification)
• Empty weight: 190 kg (419 lb)
• Gross weight: 300 kg (661 lb)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 200 km/h (124 mph, 108 kn)
• Maximum glide ratio: 32:1 at 80 km/h (50 mph)
• Rate of sink: 0.65 m/s (128 ft/min)